Common Ant Species

Some ant species live in colonies that are supported by a single queen while others are supported by multiple queens. Although there are 550 known species of ants in Uganda, there are relatively few types of ants that we commonly see as pests.

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Argentine Ant

(Linepithema humile)

Appearance

Workers about 1.6mm long.

Light to dark brown in colour.

Do not swarm.

Bite – do not sting.

Lifecycle

Worker ants produced in spring and increase in numbers up until autumn.

Winged ants (reproductive Kings and Queens), produced in early spring, before the workers, mature within three months and mate soon afterwards.

Argentine ants mate in their nest so no swarming is seen.

Habits

Worker ants will follow food trails for long distances so nests are not easy to track.

They prefer sweet foods but will also eat live and dead insects, meats, cereals and damaged fruit.

Black House Ant

Appearance

Lifecycle

Larva hatches out of the egg as a white grub which is narrower towards the head. They are fed by the adults.

The larva pupates and appears creamy-white, looking similar to an adult. Sometimes they have a protective silk cocoon around them.

The adult emerges with the three defined body sections: head, thorax and abdomen.

The length of time between the egg stage and ants emerging as adults can take 6 weeks or more; it depends on a variety of factors such as the species of ant, the temperature and the availability of food.

Fertilised eggs become female, unfertilised become males.

Habits

These ants are regarded as a nuisance and scavenge in kitchens, garbage and also dog excrement, therefore potentially spreading diseases such as salmonella.

'Common Ants' include the intensely black 'Black House Ants', and they are attracted to sweets.

Fire Ant

Appearance

Solenopsis has a very distinctive two–segment antennal club, which is most visible in the front view of the female reproductive ant.

Lifecycle

After swarming from the nest and mating, the queen searches for a suitable spot to lay her eggs. Once found, she can lay up to 125 eggs in late Spring.

Larvae hatch within 8 to 10 days, and the pupal stage lasts for 9 to 16 days.

Larvae feed on secretions from the queen’s salivary glands and broken down wing muscles until the first worker ants emerge. After this first batch of larvae moult into workers the queen’s role returns to egg laying – she can lay up to 1500 per day. Worker ants continue with larval care, nest building and food foraging.